Preschool funding attempts stall as education groups float private charter school model

Attempts to bridge a divide on public preschool funding are stalled despite a Monday meeting between legislators, education advocates and staffers from Gov. Steve Bullock's office.

So far the role of private providers has proved too thorny to negotiate, as has who would oversee an expansive public preschool program.

“I don’t see a path forward at this point,” said Lance Melton, who leads the Montana School Boards Association.

A pair of preschool bills failed to advance before a March deadline. One Democrat-sponsored bill would have created a sweeping program in public schools, and a Republican-sponsored bill would have funded public schools, federally backed Head Start programs and private providers and created a new early childhood education department in state government.

Read more: https://ravallirepublic.com/news/state-and-regional/article_b26c8c30-ca91-535c-a000-a60d22c967c1.html